Jelena "Penny Lane" Z.'s Profile

The Diner Grill = the best way to avoid further late-night drinking and offset some of the damage already done.

It's 3am on a Sat night (or Sunday morning), and we have worst intentions of continuing to imbibe at the Green Mill. But someone's hungry... REALLY hungry. And as the driver, he holds the reigns to our after-hours fate. He's wondering where he can get a burger. Not a burrito, oh no... boy wants his burger.

Me: McDonald's!
D: NO!
Me: I think there's some Mexican joint that also serves burgers 'round the corner from Green Mill!
D: No, you're just making that up!
Me: Ok. Probably.

We end up finding the Diner Grill and all 14 counter stools are filled with what appears to be standard-issue raucous frat boys. There's a wait, and some of these intoxicated customers are hanging out outside the door. Pass! We make a detour to the ledge along the window behind the counter stools and improvise by jumping up (well, one of us couldn't make it up but she's a petite thing) and ordering burgers and corned beef hash. We devour our burgers there, without a counter, without chairs.

Totally a smart move. 'Cause we don't wait!

Me: Hmmm. This burger smells funny!
D: Um, it's called grease.

It was indeed a pretty greasy burger... but really rather good. And it thwarted further tomfoolery uptown at the Mill. $2 burgers that save you from yourself? Priceless.

Audrey rocks my face off! The girl has some skills with a makeup brush-- you walk in all fresh-faced and natural and leave looking like a bombshell!

I recently came in and requested a nighttime look for no real reason except needing some guidance on what colors to wear with my brand new auburn hair. A little bit of sultry plum shady smudged there, a dab of gold in the pout here, and some fake eyelashes culminated in one hot party look. I looked like me, only enhanced with sparkle and gleam. And, Audrey's work didn't budge all night... I even woke up with my false eyelashes intact.

$40 for a full face of makeup or $25 for eyes... a steal!

Oh, and I love that they offer you a cold PBR upon walking in.

Duck fat fries. Sheesh!

Of all our amazing lunches and dinners in Denver last week, this was my favorite. I swooned over the comfy yet stylish digs, and both the food and cocktails get a lot of love at Tag.

My tummy was a-grumblin' after spending 4 hours waiting for luggage at the airport so needless to say, I was hell-bent on trying the entire menu upon our arrival. And we practically did! Everything from braised rabbit empanadas to seafood potstickers to mini-Kobe burgers (that's where the duck fat fries came in!) to the deservedly-popular taco sushi. I could eat that taco sushi all day long... as long as the mango salsa gets to ride shotgun!

Oh, but I didn't stop there. For my main, I chowed down on the hangar steak (fingerling potato, truffle herb salad, balsamic syrup, gorgonzola). Simply delicious. I could have ended the meal there and died happy, but...

Dessert! Our table split a few decadent treats, with the sticky toffee cake and the bread pudding winning me over. And there you have it-- a perfect meal from start to finish. Bravo, Tag!

I've been on a sticker rampage as of late (my laptop and notebooks need love too) and thought I'd find some cool ones at Strange Cargo. Came up empty-handed, but did run into a smattering of other fun trinkets.

What do we have here? Wigs, toys, Chucks, fun 80s paraphernalia, random junk, new and used apparel and of course their signature draw: made-to-order t-shirts. So if you're looking for that special gimmicky tee for a bachelorette party or a Kitson boutique-inspired shirt (remember the 'Team Aniston' vs 'Team Jolie' tees?), Strange Cargo is the joint.

Yes, the trixies and chads congregate here. I was bumped a few times, but hey it's Wrigleyville and when it comes to push and shove, I win!

Metaphorically speaking, we were looking for Budapest but ended up in Hillside, IL. Though, hearing 'Moja Mala' and 'Mala Garava' brought me closer!

I was also hoping for Töltött Káposzta Házi Kolbásszal aka cabbage rolls (the Hungarian version of my beloved Croatian sarma) but alas, no guest appearance at the buffet. So sad. Apparently, sometimes they include them and sometimes they don't. My advice? Call ahead!

What we did try was pretty good, but I shied away from trying the more traditional meat-centric items as it appeared the heat lamps had smiled upon them a bit too long. Several different goulashes graced the buffet, but after being served goulash 1-2 times a week x 18 years, I'd say I'm slightly over it. It did look hearty and inviting, though!

My favorites: the buttery garlic bread. Sort of a hybrid between Indian naan and Balkan lepinja. I couldn't stop attacking it with the Körözött, a cheese spread made from feta, farmers and cream cheese along with some paprika for good measure. I also enjoyed the 'Hungarian hamburger' (a small patty resembling a latke) and the potato soup.

The dessert area was underwhelming as I didn't see any authentic Hungarian desserts. Chocolate cake? Hmmm.

Oh, and Epicurean Hungarian is BYO so don't forget your favorite wine. City Fresh Market on Devon may stock some Hungarian vino if you're looking. I'll probably return, if only to try their cabbage rolls.

I don't know much about whiskey but I do know a thing about good beer.

And yes, they do have exactly that at Delilah's.

If I write anything out of character in this review, go ahead and blame me. Actually... let's blame the guys from the New Holland Brewing Company. Because they're pushing their new glorious artisan spirits on me and of course their legendary brews. As if! Like they need to twist my beer-lovin' arms. Into tastings? Well you're in the right place.

Yes, I'm on my laptop right now in a dark corner. And they're pulling me back in... I think I need to go. Right. Now.

Don't leave without checking out the cool art. The music's good too. I'm bopping my head around a bit, not gonna lie.

Okaygoodnight. Back to my brew!

What do Yeti, Samurai, and Saint Bridget's Porter have in common? Me, me, me!

I had the fine luxury of experiencing all the inner workings of the Great Divide Brewing Company courtesy of my fellow beer-loving colleague, Austin's Kevin N. You know the one-- 'bad' santa at last year's Chicago Holiday Bash! He arranged an intimate tour of the premises for us, which allowed for a bird's-eye view of how their beer is made and ultimately packaged. All while sampling the delicious goods of course! I started with the potent yet smooth Yeti (9.5% ABV, how 'bout them apples?) and slowly moved to lighter brews. Yeah, so I work backwards. But, I like to have my way with the bold, untamed formulations while I'm still... sober and lucid. You don't open a $50 bottle of wine when you're already three sheets to the wind, do you?

Back to the beer. I really enjoyed our tour, my hoppy selections and what was yet to come... a surprise BBQ feast waiting in the back! Thanks to the Great Divide staff for making this memorable evening possible... and your sticker is now proudly affixed to my favorite notebook!

Feel Good Inc. was the rest of the evening's prevailing theme as I sang unsolicited backup to every song at the next stop, a karaoke bar. Inspired by the Yeti? You bet!

Last week, one of our super fashionable Yelp execs rocked a jacket that I knew I had to own. I'm not usually one to copy a look, but you don't understand... this jacket is edgy, chic and so flattering. Andrea said she didn't mind if I purchased the same one (hey, she travels 24/7 anyway so we're usually not in the same place at the same time) so off I was.

Upon walking in, I was greeted by a helpful staffer who offered to show me all the jackets. She led me to the coveted jacket, but it was a size small in a form-fitting cut. She did find a medium, but in the cream color and I wanted black!

And then, she showed me the sale rack and grabbed a cropped black motorcycle jacket. Zippers! Grommets! The body-conscious feminine cut is exactly what I had in mind. And don't forget the key word: sale. PLUS an extra 20% off!

Lots of cute dresses and tops caught my eye after a quick scan of the boutique. Though, my one-track mind couldn't focus on any of the other clothes today. But I'll be returning soon, now that I know how quickly their stuff moves!

There are certain things in life that are destined to remain a mystery. Love, for one. Maybe I'll never figure it out. And maybe I actually like it that way. But I prefer my hotel stays to be reasonably straightforward. So imagine my surprise when I returned to my room at the Curtis after a long day and noticed something white and unbecoming laying on top of the clothes in my open suitcase. WTF is that?

A white bra. I don't even own a white bra. I picked it up hesitantly, looked at the tag and.... 38B? Um, NOT my size.

Said bra was promptly tossed into the trash before checking out. I know it was Friday the 13th and all, but weird... just weird. Do not like finding strange underpinnings in my room!

Totally unsexy.

I love shopping... but add in a few cocktails and we've got a potentially dangerous situation.

Um... a blatant disregard of my budget kind of situation!

But walking into Violet turned out to be a financially-sound decision. Because most of the clothing is reasonably-priced. For example, I found a couple of gorgeous tops that were priced at $50. And the eclectic scarf I scored set me back only $20.

Violet carries a small but thoughtful collection of jewelry, too. Many of the featured designers are local and the proprietor even told me that proceeds from a certain jewelry line were all being donated to a certain charity during the holidays. That's what I call feel-good buying!

Not the largest selection, but everything is overwhelmingly chic and unique.